Self-winding electric clock.



No. 781,072. PATLNTLD JAN. 31, 1905.

R. L. EIGHT.

SELF WINDING ELECTRIC CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1904.

Patented January 31, 1905.

kPATENT OEEICE.

ROBERT LESTER HIGHT, OF DEOATUR, ILLINOIS.

SELF-WINDING ELECTFlC CLOCK.I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,072, dated January31, 1905.

Application filed January 7, 1904. Serial No. 188,102.

To a/ZZ 10h/07m t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LESTER Hier-1T, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing' at Decatur, in the county of Macon andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Clocks, o'f which the following is a specification, referencebeing' had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically-controlledclocks, and has for its primary object the provision of a clock of thischaracter having electromechanical means for insuring regular andaccurate manipulation of the hands and preferably, though notnecessarily, in combination with circuit-controlling means wherebysubordinate or outlying clocks may be synchronously actuated.

NVith the foregoing objects in view a convenient embodiment of theinvention includes in an electric circuit a circuit-closer, one memberof which is carried by the escape-wheel of the clock, while the other iscarried by its anchor, said circuit including a magnet, which in turn isoperatively related to a speciallyadapted armature, theimmediately-associated parts of which coperate with devices forperiodically winding a spring connected to the escape-wheel, said springimparting the desired movement to the escape-wheel, through the mediumof which the clock-hands, both the minute and hour, or, if foundexpedient, the minute-hands only, are shifted.

The many novel details in the construction and arrangement of theseveral parts will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafterwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming parthereof, and wherein a preferable embodiment is illustrated.

In the dravving's, Figure l is a side elevation of a clock somewhatdismantled to more clearly show the salient features of the invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line of Eig. l. Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line y g/ of the same figure. Eig. l is a sectionon line 2' e, Fig. 8; and Eig'. 5 is adetail view.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters refer to corresponding parts in the several views, Adesignates the ordinary frame of a clock; B, the escape-wheel thereof;C, the escape-anchor, and B the operating-train for the hands.

X represents a local circuit for a purpose to be hereinafter defined,and the manner of completing this circuit will now be referred to. Toone face of the escape-wheel B and insulated therefrom a contact-pointis secured, or said point may be otherwise mounted, so as to be inadjacence with said escapewheel and rotatable therewith, the ends ofsaid point being' arranged immediately at the side of one of the teethof the escape-wheel and of the same g'eneral shape as said tooth,whereby said contact-point in its travel with the escape-wheel may atpredetermined intervals, in the present instance once each minute, comein contact with its cooperating point 7/, projecting' laterally from oneof the pallets of the anchor (l, the opposite pallet of the anchorhaving a similarly-projecting portion 52 in the nature of a jewel orother nonconductingsubstance of a weight to properly balance the anchor,but of a character to produce no effect electrically upon contact withthe point The circuitX may take any desired course through partialwiring' and metallic elements of the clock works and frame or through acomplete system of wiring, the latter being' conventionally shown inFig. 2. In this ligure it will be noted that a lead a" runs from thepoint 7) to the battery or electrical source X, while a lead runs fromthe point through certain magnets D, to be presently reverted to,connected to the opposite pole of the battery by a wire fc3.

The magnets D, above referred to, are conveniently arranged side by sideupon the back plate of the clock, at the lower portion thereof, and haveparallel cores (Z oppositely inclined or slightly curved on their innerfaces d', between which a rocking armature E, mounted upon therock-shaft c, works, the ends of said armature being of substantiallythe same curvature as the inner faces of the magnet portions d.Projecting laterally from the armature is a weight E for maintaining'the samein the position shown in Eig. 2 when the magnets D aredenergized. The arma- IOO,

ture also carries a toothed segment (i, prol circuit H, which closessaid circuit and causes vided at one edge with a contact f/, arranged tounder certain conditions bridge the terminals /L of the circuit H,including the subordinate clocks t, to be synchronously actuated underthe control ot' the clock now being specially considered. The teeth otthe segment G mesh with a pinion g', loosely supported by a stub-shaftg, projecting forwardl y from the back plate of the clock. The pinion ghas a flange vf, carrying a springpressed dog t, so arranged that in themovement otl the pinion the same will engage the teeth oi' a ratchet I,loosely7 sleeved upon the shaft L oi' the escapewheel, said shaft beingin turn loosely supported in the end otl the hub of the pinion g', asclearly shown in Fig. et. Coiled about the escape-wheel shaft andarranged intermediate the hub ot' the escape-wheel and that ot' theratchet l is a spring J, the ends of which are respectively connected,through the medium of screwsj, to said hubs of the ratchet andescape-wheel.

The operation of the clock may now be followed. The spring J beinginitially wound tightly to put the same under tension and the pendulum Kstarted, the escape-wheel anchor will permit the spring to graduallyunwind with the rotation of the escape-wheel, such rotation of theescape-wheel being' under the influence of said spring and operating thetrain B for shifting the hands. The spring will but partially unwindduring each complete rotation of the escape-wheel, and it is for thepurpose of rewinding` or restoring the normal power ot' the spring thatthe other instrumentalities in the local circuit X, controlled by thecontact-points I; and are provided. vWhen during the rotation of theescape-wheel the contact-point Z1 is engaged by the cooperating point Z1on the anchor, the local circuit is completed, which energizes themagnets D. This energization of the magnets attracts the armature E,whereby the same rocks into the horizontal position shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2, or with its ends in transverse alinement with theprojecting cores d of the magnets, throwing the segment G in thedirection of the arrow, (also elevating the weight F,) which rotates thepinion g in the direction ot' the arrow. The pinion carrying the dog c"will in its movement rotate the ratchet l in the same direction as thedirection of rotation otl said pinion, thereby eecting the desiredrewinding otl the spring' J, the pallets ot' the anchor maintaining aregularity of movement oi the esand a locking-dog L, secured to astationary portion oi' the clock-trame, engaging' the ratchet,preventing reverse rotation ot' said ratchet and consequentimmediateunwinding of the spring. The movement ot' the armature just abovedescribed causes the contact g to bridge the terminals 7L ot theoutgoing` actuation ot' the subordinate clocks /t'. An adjustable stop Mprevents excessive movement of the segment to the lett. As soon as thecontact-points b and /l separate and the magnets D consequently'deenergized the weight F will restore the parts lo the positionindicated by full lines, Fig. 2.

rEhe length of contact between the points b and Z/ may o'tl course bevaried to suit the conditions of different systems; but l have foundthat a very eilicient contact is al'lorded by making the tooth of theescape-wheel immediately adjacent to the point (said tooth being' shownat c) somewhat shorter than the end oli the contact-point andpositioning' the same slightly in advance ol" said contact-point,whereby the contact-point can engage the under side only o'lI 'the pointt, carried by the anchor.

1t is to be understood that although certain disclosures have been madeherein it is simply for the purpose ot facilitating the impartation of afull understanding of the invention and that the invention is in nosense limited to any special structural features, excepting in so Vlaras any such may be speciically included in the hereto-appended claims;also, that slight changes and alterations may be made without departingfrom the spirit oi the invention.

lIaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent, isw

l. In an electric clock, electrically controlled, means for actuatingparts thereof, including a circuit-closer comprising the escape-wheel,its anchor, a contact-point movable with the escape-wheel, and acooperating point carried by the anchor, the tooth ot the escape-wheelimmediately adjacent to the contact-point carried thereby being shorterthan the contact-point, whereby the contact-point can engage the underside only ot' the cont-actpoint carried by the anchor.

2. In a system of electric clocks, a masterclock,electrieally-controlled means for actuating the parts thereof, includinga magnet, a rocking armature, a segment carried by said armature, andmeans on said segment for closing an auxiliary circuit containing' aseries ot secondary clocks. y

3. In an electric clock, the combination with an escape-wheel shaft, anescape-wheel and the anchor therefor, oi a springoperatively associatedwith said escape-wheel for actuating the fsame, andelectrically-controlled means for cape-wheel during the rewindingoperation,

successively winding said spring, including a stub-shaft secured to theclock-frame and abut- 1 ting against the end of the escape-wheel shalitand forming a continuation thereof, a flanged hub loosely mounted on thestub-shaft and the end ot' the escape-wheel shaft, a pinion rigidlysecured to said hub on one side ot' the llange, a ratchet-wheel looselysecured upon the hub ICO IIO

on the other side of the wheel, a dog secured to the flange of the huband cooperating with the-ratchet-Wheel, a magnet, av rocking armatureand connecting instrumentalities between said armature and said dog andratchet.

4. In an electric clock, the combination with an escape-wheel shaft, anescape-wheel and the anchor therefor, of a spring operatively associatedwith said escape-wheel for actuating the same, and electrically-controlled means for successively winding said spring, including astub-shaft secured to the clock-frame and abutting against the end ofthe escape-wheel shaft and forminga continuation thereof, aflanged hubmounted loosely on the stub-shaft and the end of the escape-wheel shaft,a pinion rigidly secured to said hub on one side of the flange, aratchet-wheel loosely secured upon the hub on the other side of thewheel, a dog secured to the flange of the hub and coperating with theratchet-wheel, a magnet, a rocking armature therefor, and a segmentmovable with said armature and meshing with the pinion on the hub.

5. In an electric clock, the combination with an escape-wheel shaft, anescape-wheel and the l anchor therefor, of a spring operatively associated with said escape-wheel for actuating the same, andelectrically-controlled means for successively winding said spring`including a stub-shaft secured to the clock-frame and abutting againstthe end of the escape-wheel shaft and forming acontinuation thereof, aflanged hub loosely mounted on the stub-shaft and the end of theescape-wheel shaft, apinion rigidly secured to said hub on one side ofthe flange, a ratchet-wheel loosely secured upon the hub on the otherside of the wheel, a dog secured to the flange of the hub andcooperating with the ratchet-wheel, a locking-dog secured to theclock-frame and cooperating with said ratchetwheel to preventbackwardmovement thereof, a magnet, a rocking armature and connectinginstrumentalities between said armature and said dog and ratchet.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature i presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT LESTER I-IIGHT.

Vitnesses:

FRANK CURTIS, MAG E. CRossMAN.

